Weather Forecast

Tusa sets UWRF strikeout mark

Senior pitcher Rose Tusa broke UW-River Falls' career strikeout record and accounted for all three UWRF victories as the Falcon softball team won three of four games at the Augustana Tournament over last weekend (March 31-32)in Moline, Ill.

Tusa set the new school mark with her first strikeout in the first inning of the Falcons' 6-5 victory over St. Norbert on Sunday. It was her 573rd career strikeout, breaking the record held by current Falcon pitching coach Ashley Bertrand from 2005-08.

Tusa finished with six strikeouts in the win over St. Norbert before striking out eight more batters in a 4-0 shutout victory over Cornell later Sunday afternoon.

Tusa's 586 career strikeouts is currently fourth all-time in the WIAC. She needs five more to pass Mallory McKinney of UW-Eau Claire (2004-07) and move into third place on the all-time list.

Tusa and the Falcons will get the chance to make more history when the team hosts UW-Eau Claire in its WIAC and home opener Wednesday, April 4. The scheduled doubleheader gets underway at 3 p.m. at the Ramer Field Sports Complex. The Falcons take a record of 11-6 into the twin bill while the Blugolds come in at 11-7.

UWRF opened the Augustana Tournament last Saturday with a 4-1 victory over Gustavus Adolphus, thanks to a three-run walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh inning by junior Hayley Buchanan. Buchanan hit a solo home run in the second game of the tournament to account for UWRF's only run in a 2-1 loss to the host team, Augustana.

Saturday against St. Norbert, junior Ashley Goettl hit a three-run home run to highlight a six run third inning and Tusa pitched five innings of no-hit ball in a 6-5 Falcon victory.

Tusa threw a four-hit shutout in the team's 4-0 win against Cornell later Sunday afternoon. The right-hander pitched all seven innings and allowed just the four hits while striking out eight.

Tusa struck out a total of 22 batters in 19 innings pitched over the weekend without walking a batter. On the season, she has a record of 8-3 with 90 strikeouts, eight walks and a 1.57 earned run average in 76 innings pitched.